Contact: Eric Wing (212) 521-5316
The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) announced today that the NTRA Advantage program has now topped the $100 million mark in savings to the horse industry since the inception of the NTRA’s group purchasing arm in 2002. In all, NTRA Advantage sales of goods and services since 2002 exceed $612 million.NTRA members that have realized savings through NTRA Advantage include racetracks, owners, breeders and trainers. Organizations that have utilized the discount program also extend well beyond the realm of Thoroughbred racing. These include the American Quarter Horse Association, the U.S. Equestrian Federation, the U.S. Trotting Association, Harness Tracks of America and the U.S. Polo Association.
“NTRA Advantage is one of the first national programs that the NTRA created to improve the economics of the horse industry,” said Alex Waldrop, President and CEO of the NTRA. “By aggregating the collective buying power of the horse industry, NTRA Advantage has been able to make a significant difference in the bottom lines of horse operations large and small.”
“We are delighted to pass the $100 million savings milestone, and we look to add aggressively to that total in the months and years to come,” said Bryan Pettigrew, Senior Vice President of NTRA Advantage. “We have recently completed extensive member research and are working with industry leaders including The Jockey Club, Breeders’ Cup, The New York Racing Association and others to develop new NTRA Advantage partners for our members. Whenever a member uses NTRA Advantage, a portion of sales proceeds goes to support NTRA programs in areas like marketing, government affairs, communications, digital media, and the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance. So the benefits to the industry are not just limited to the cost savings themselves.”
NTRA Advantage delivers substantial cost savings—through local dealers—on products and services from such nationally known vendors as John Deere, UPS, Sherwin-Williams, OfficeMax, Pfizer Animal Health, Flair Equine Nasal Strips and Hagyard Pharmacy.
The NTRA is a broad-based coalition of horse racing interests consisting of leading Thoroughbred racetracks, owners, breeders, trainers, horseplayers and affiliated horse racing associations, charged with increasing the popularity of horse racing and improving economic conditions for industry participants. The NTRA has offices in Lexington, Ky., and New York City. NTRA press releases appear on the NTRA web site, NTRA.com.